Crispy Firecracker Cauliflower Bites

Cauliflower florets battered and baked until super crispy and then tossed in the an incredible sweet and spicy sauce. Sticky, crispy and so easy to make, you’ll be throwing your takeout menus away! #firecracker #firecrackercauliflower #cauliflower #takeout | https://withpeanutbutterontop.com

A delicious and easy meat-free option that will fool any chicken wing lover! Cauliflower florets coated and baked in a sticky, sweet and spicy sauce that is out of this world. Great as a main dish over rice or served as an appetizer.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine Asian

Keyword Cauliflower, Crispy Firecracker Cauliflower Bites, Firecracker

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings servings

Calories 411kcal

Ingredients

1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets - keep a little of the stem, if preferred
cooking spray
2 cups panko breadcrumbs

Batter:

1 cup all-purpose flour, can sub with gluten-free baking flour
1 cup half and half, can sub with milk or heavy cream
1 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt, more or less - to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper, more or less - to taste

Sauce:

2/3 cup RedHot Buffalo sauce *SEE NOTES
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt, more or less - to taste
1 tbsp cornstarch + 1 tablespoon water, stirred together until dissolved

Garnishment and Sides:

Ranch or blue cheese dressing
sesame seeds
chopped green onions
carrots and celery

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
To a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients for the batter. Mix well.
Add the panko breadcrumbs to a large ziploc bag.
Using tongs, dip a cauliflower floret into the batter, making sure to thoroughly coat. Tap the tongs on the edge of the bowl a few times to remove any excess batter. Remove as much as you can.
Place 2-3 florets into the Ziploc bag of breadcrumbs, seal off and give it a good shake to coat. Make sure to thoroughly coat each floret. Remove with tongs, shake off any excess, and place each floret onto the prepared baking sheet.
Once you have coated all the florets, spray with nonstick cooking spray and bake for 15-20 minutes. Time will be dependent on how large your bites are. They should be crispy and a have very light, golden brown color.
While the florets are baking, make the sauce. Place a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Combine all ingredients (minus the cornstarch and water) into the pan and stir well.
Bring to a boil for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. Combine the cornstarch with the water and mix well. Add the cornstarch mix to the sauce and stir.
Lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the sauce has thickened, about 2-3 minutes. You don't want the sauce to be too thick. You will need it thick enough to dip and coat. If you bake it a second time, the sauce will thicken a bit and caramelize in the oven.
You can dip the florets into the firecracker sauce individually or pour over the bites before serving.

Additional Baking:

If you prefer super crispy style bites, then I would not bake any further. But if you prefer softer bites with a sticky, caramelized sauce, then bake for an additional 10-15 minutes once the sauce has been added. Check at 8-10 minutes (depending on floret size) for burning.
Garnish with chopped green onions (scallions) and sesame seeds. Serve with your favorite ranch dressing and sides: celery and carrot sticks.

Notes

Depending on the size of your head of cauliflower, you may have extra sauce. Simply use this to pour over or for additional dipping!

—Single Bake: After the cauliflower is battered and coated in panko breadcrumbs, the exterior after a single bake is super crunchy on the outside, while being tender on the inside. So if you're a crispy chicken bites lover, then you may love the single bake option. Simply allow the bites to cool slightly and then dip them into the sauce or drizzle the sauce overtop and enjoy!

—Double Bake: This is when the cauliflower has baked once, been coated in the firecracker sauce and baked for a second time. The texture changes. The sauce causes the crispy coating to soften slightly, but also gives the sauce this incredibly sticky, caramelized texture - which is also just as phenomenal.

If you're unsure on which you would like best - bake half of the batch with the sauce and leave half of the batch as is - baked once.

SAUCE: If you don't have or can't find Frank's RedHot Buffalo Sauce, you can use regular RedHot with 1/4 cup of light butter added. Sriracha sauce would work, too, but I would advise that you add with caution. It is much hotter than Buffalo Sauce. Start by adding half the amount (1/3 cup) and go from there.

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